January, the worst month of the year for movie releases, is upon us. It’s post-holiday season, typically when the movies that studios don’t have much faith in get dumped on audiences. From horror to action flicks, no genre is safe from studios' wrath. While filmgoers struggle through another lackluster first month of the year, let’s take a look at a few movies that actually were quite good despite being released when they were. Here are the eight best January releases since 2000.
8. Hostel (January 6, 2006)
Gratuitous nudity and gratuitous gore make for a movie so shocking it is amazing it was ever made. It’s a movie that started as a pitch to Quentin Tarantino before becoming one of the defining movies of the subgenre. Eli Roth’s (Cabin Fever) iconic torture-porn film made many Americans too terrified to ever stay in a hostel again. The story follows two American friends played by Jay Hernandez and Derek Richardson backpacking around Europe with an Icelandic man played by Eythor Gudjudsson they pick up. They’re looking for drugs and girls when they have a chance encounter with a Slovakian man who knows just the place where they can find both. However, they end up where they least expect.
While many would argue that the film indulges in shock for shock’s sake, Nathan Barr’s (The Hunt) score manages to navigate the shifting tones of the movie, and adds to the absolute horror of the torture scenes. While this movie is not for everyone, for fans of the subgenre, Hostel is a must-see.
7. The Little Things (January 29, 2021)
Even with an A-list talent, a January release made it seem like this movie was dead in the water. When initial trailers appeared, it seemed entertaining enough, but coming out right after Oscar season let audiences know exactly what they were in for. Sure enough, the story is rather meh, and the dialogue is straight out of the worst of '90s cop dramas, however, the acting in this movie is great.
Oscar winners Jared Leto (The Dallas Buyer’s Club), Denzel Washington (Training Day), and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) give it their all as they make what should be rather boring material as entertaining as possible. Ultimately, they succeed for the most part. While the plot twists and turns may not leave audiences very surprised, it’s still an entertaining movie with enough to keep filmgoers interested until the end.
6. The Last Full Measure (January 24, 2020)
The Last Full Measure is a who’s who, showcasing some of the best actors in the history of Hollywood. The cast features Christopher Plummer (Beginners) and Peter Fonda (Easy Rider), each in their final roles, as well as Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Ed Harris (The Truman Show), William Hurt (A History of Violence), Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams), Bradley Whitford (Get Out), and Diane Ladd (Chinatown). What’s more impressive than the cast is how few people actually saw this movie. It made just under $3M at the domestic box office, and while it’s not groundbreaking by any means, the story of war hero Frank Pitsenbarger who never got the credit he earned, deserves a look from film audiences.
While it was advertised as a Patriotic war movie, there are only a few scenes set during Vietnam. A majority of the movie follows Stan’s Scott Huffman as he speaks to those who were friends with or saved by “Pits”. It’s a dark look at the effects of war and PTSD, and while the movie can get a bit corny at times, it manages to ask the important questions without offering simple solutions.
5. The Kid Who Would Be King (January 25, 2019)
Eight years after directing Attack the Block, Joe Cornish released his second feature film, The Kid Who Would Be King. The film follows the story of Alex played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis, who discovers that he is the heir to King Arthur's throne in this very entertaining family movie. Not popular at school, Alex tries to do the right thing and defend classmates from bullies, but normally to the point of getting himself hurt. However, one night, while on the run from those bullies, he comes across Excalibur and manages to pull it from a stone in a construction site. From there, he and his friends must defend their world from the evil sorceress Morgana played by Rebecca Ferguson (Dune), information they find out from Merlin, played by Patrick Stewart (Logan) disguising himself as a younger person.
The Kid Who Would Be King is pretty standard family fantasy, but its plot doesn’t take shortcuts, and neither did its budget. This makes for a satisfying third act featuring elementary students fighting CGI demons as they try to save not just their school, but the world.
4. Taken (January 30, 2009)
And just like that, the man who played Oskar Schindler is an action star. It’s weird to think that just over a decade ago, Liam Neeson (The Grey) was best known for his dramatic roles. Now, in 2022, it’s hard to imagine him as anything but an actor who appears on-screen to beat the daylights out of people and save the day.
It all began with Taken, a movie with a very simple premise, executed very well. Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a retired CIA agent, who must rescue his daughter after she is kidnaped in Paris. The script from Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional) and Robert Mark Kamen (The Fifth Element) is what you would expect from a movie of the genre, and yet it features one of the most iconic bits of dialogue of the last 15 years. In one epic phone call, Neeson calmly and simply says, “I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.” The line sets in motion one of the most exhilarating and enjoyable action films of the last 20 years.
3. Orange County (January 11, 2002)
Colin Hanks (Fargo) had his breakout performance in this movie about a rich kid living in one of the nicest parts of America who can’t wait to get away from all the dead beats around him. As an aspiring writer, he applies to Stanford University, but when there is a mix-up with his transcripts, he gets denied and a student with a similar name played by Fran Kranz (The Cabin in the Woods) gets in. Determined to get into his dream school, he relies on his stoner brother played by Jack Black (Tropic Thunder) to get him to Stanford and convince the Dean to let him in.
Written by Mike White (The White Lotus), the movie takes an unexpected turn as Hanks proves he’s willing to do anything to get out of Orange County. The film also features Schuyler Fisk (The Best of Me) and small roles from Chevy Chase, (Caddyshack), John Lithgow (The World According to Garp), and Lily Tomlin (9 to 5). The movie flies by with a runtime of just 82 minutes, another one of this killer comedy's many perks.
2. Cloverfield (January 16, 2008)
One of two true masterpieces of the found-footage genre, Matt Reeves’ (Let Me In) Cloverfield takes the viewer on a wild ride through New York City as a monster terrorizes residents one night. While the movie sits firmly in the science fiction genre, there is a very serious sense of realism in the film as well. Coming out just over seven years after 9/11, Reeves and his team created chaos and imagery that was very reminiscent of that horrible day in American history. Forcing people to hide out in convenience stores as clouds of dust and debris explode down the street, the claustrophobic nature of the film is unrelenting.
The script by Drew Goddard (The Martian) doesn't make the mistake of forcing the handheld camera like so many others of the genre. In addition, strong performances, especially a hilarious nearly voice-only performance from T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley) keep the characters and relationships interesting as we watch their quest for survival. After The Blair Witch Project, everyone wanted to make the next found-footage hit. Reeves and Goddard were able to do so with this great movie.
1. Paddington 2 (January 12, 2018)
Who would have thought that a family movie about a talking bear in love with marmalade would be good? Who would have thought its sequel would be even better? What so many failing family films lack is inspiration, but Paddington 2 has more than enough to make up for most of the drivel that comes out throughout the year.
The performances are great, the storyline is hilarious, and this movie drives home its family message with loads of heart. Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) as “Knuckles” McGinty, a prison chef who doesn’t like his food questioned, is perfect casting. Hugh Grant (Love Actually) gives it his all as the washed-up actor Phoenix Buchanan who steals from everyone. Paddington’s quest to provide a gift for his 100-year-old Aunt Lucy will leave you laughing with delight, and by the end, it may even make you cry with happiness. It’s one of the best family movies ever made, and easily the best January release since 2000.